Radio Personality To Endorse Bucks Community College

Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh has alumni who are movie stars, astronauts and Nobel Prize recipients who promote their alma mater.

Now, Bucks County Community College in Newtown Township will be promoted by alumna Anita Gevinson, a Philadelphia radio personality.

The college held a press conference yesterday to announce it would proceed with plans to use the WYSP disc jockey for radio, print and local cable television ads promoting the school.

Gevinson, a 1972 graduate of BCCC whose rise to prominence has been attributed largely to her extroverted manner on the talk show "Ask Anita," said yesterday in a telephone interview that she is pleased to speak on behalf of her alma mater.

Leery of commercial endorsements, Gevinson said her speaking on behalf of the college is different because, "I'm speaking for something I believe in. I never wanted to endorse things like sauerkraut.

"I can't do anything I don't believe in," she said.

BCCC, she said, provided her with the impetus to shed her feelings of shyness and ultimately spurred her into radio work.

"This is where I lost my inhibitions," she said. "I'm up here looking for them now," she kidded.

Of her days at the school, she said, "I found I was doing my radio shows in people's living rooms up here.

"If I had gone to a school where it was just a bunch of papers and classes, I don't think I would have had the nerve to try radio," she said in speaking glowingly of the college.

The advertising theme to be used by BCCC will be "Ask Anita About Bucks," a takeoff on her talk show, which has been off the air since she moved over to a morning show last September.

The promotional angle will not be limited to advertising. It will involve personal appearances as well.

Next Friday, Gevinson will be at Veterans Stadium to induct the Phillie Phanatic as an honorary member of the college's alumni association. College president Charles E. Rollins will throw out the game ball.

On May 5, she will attend an open house at the college and has other engagements scheduled through the summer and fall.

Yesterday she taped her first radio announcement, which will be aired in the weeks ahead.

The college will focus on young audiences through Gevinson's advocacy on local television advertisements on the popular rock-video cable network MTV.

Curt Yeske, college director of public relations, said that with the$20,000 budgeted for the Gevinson promotions program for the remainder of this year, he is "optimistic this will cause some excitement. I think people will sit up and notice."

Yeske said Gevinson's high profile, especially with people under 40, will attract many new students to the campus.

With out-of-state community colleges advertising in Bucks County as well as better-known institutions, Yeske said, "This is not a time to back off in terms of promoting the college.

"Not everyone in the county is aware of all the opportunities here," he said.

Though not an honor-roll student while taking theater classes at BCCC, Gevinson said "I am still a good representative of the school because I feel it allowed for the birth of my personality, which people liked when they put me on the radio.

"They were the best couple years I can remember," she added. "I have no problem saying that because I feel that way."

And she feels also that the promotion of the college will be a success. "We're going to get so many new people through this," she said.